ABC 7 and WCIU team up to deliver 7 p.m. local newscast

Here’s some news: More news is on the way.

ABC 7 Eyewitness News and Weigel Broadcasting’s flagship station, WCIU, The U, announced Tuesday that they’re teaming up to deliver a live local newscast at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday on The U.

Starting Jan. 12, the hourlong ABC 7 Eyewitness News on WCIU, The U, will be anchored by veteran ABC 7 News personalities Hosea Sanders and Linda Yu; sports anchor Jim Rose and meteorologist Cheryl Scott.

RELATED: It’s official: Cheryl Scott heads to ABC 7

It will be the Chicago region’s only local newscast at that hour, making for some interesting competition against WTTW-Channel 11’s public-affairs program “Chicago Tonight,” which also airs at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Sanders said in a written statement: “I will truly miss my morning co-anchors; they’ll always be like family to me. But, after 20 years of waking up at 2:30 in the morning, the chance to anchor a primetime newscast on WCIU is a wonderful reward for my hard work. Linda Yu and Jim Rose have been great colleagues and friends of mine since I started at the station, so launching this newscast with them, along with our new meteorologist Cheryl Scott, will be very gratifying.”

The station said Terrell Brown will join Judy Hsu, Tracy Butler and Roz Varon in anchoring ABC 7’s News This Morning beginning Jan. 12.

Yu will do double duty, continuing to appear on ABC 7 at 4 p.m.

“It gives viewers a chance to watch Chicago’s No. 1 news at a new time and is a convenient option for those who want live, local news earlier in the evening,” said ABC 7 Chicago President and General Manager John Idler in a written statement.

“Adding local news to the schedule was a goal of ours,” added Bob Ramsey, Executive Vice President, Weigel Local Media.

WCIU, The U, is on WCIU-TV HD 26.1, XFINITY HD 183, RCN 6, RCN HD 606, WOW 6, WOW HD 207, AT&T U-verse 10, AT&T U-verse HD 1010, DIRECTV HD 26 and Dish Network 26.